Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Winter Break Is Upon Us...
Well, at least it's upon me. I have a couple batches of essays to grade, and then I don't teach until January 10th 2022.
I will finally be back in the classroom, after almost two years of teaching online. Can't believe it. Still don't know what the mask situation will be like... I'm hoping I can use a face shield. That would be better than having to cover my mouth while I attempt to lecture.
Because I have some free time coming up, I've been listing a variety of creative projects... Of course, once school is underway, I won't have the time or the energy to properly pursue any of these. And when February rolls around, I'll be even busier since we'll be launching the show, Sugar and Spies.
But until my schedule turns crazy again, I'll be tinkering on new opening Chapter strategies for Twixt & Twerp... and trying to concoct another masterpiece of a picture book.
Wish me luck! Happy holidays!
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Thanksgiving Weekend 2021
I should probably start posting actual blog posts instead of merely tossing in links to my YouTube channel.
Cheri and I experienced our first Thanksgiving as empty-nesters.
It was quite joyful, despite missing the kids. It involved a lot of LEGOS!
As far as my new creative focus, I’m trying to color at least one page of DUCK TOWN each day…
but at that slow rate, I’ll be lucky if it gets finished by 2023.
The day before Thanksgiving, Cheri and I took a friend out to lunch at Stonefire Grill.
He’s still recovering from brain surgery! And I think he's doing better with each passing month.
On Thanksgiving, we watched PLANES, TRAINS and AUTOMOBILES (which turned out to not
be one of Cheri’s favorite Steven Martin flicks). The characters were a bit too dislikable for her taste,
which I get. I wouldn’t want to spend time being that close to a real life Del Griffith.
Ah, these DOGS of MINE… Chase is sitting here staring at me. Everytime the early evening rolls
around, he expects me to do something for him. Haven’t figured out what exactly he wants.
Snacks? Attention? Activity time? Yet another walk? On days in which I give him three walks,
instead of the usual two, he’s still not satisfied.
The Christmas lights were hung upon the rooftop yesterday. Once upon a time, when
I would venture onto the roof on the morning after Thanksgiving, I would be able to proudly
claim that I was the first person in the neighborhood to put up lights. Our house has never had
a very impressive light display, but we were always first! Not so anymore. Our neighborhood
has become quite festive, and I was one of five houses on the street who set up lights.
Tonight, Cheri and I will continue our binge of the new Beatles Documentary: GET BACK.
We love it because it’s like hanging out with John, Paul, George, and Ringo…
They know their band is nearing the end, but they are still creating amazing music together.
Friday, November 26, 2021
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Friday, October 22, 2021
Hello 2021...
Howdy, Future Me.
This is Wade Bradford writing from the distant past. Well, actually, it's not all that distant. Just 2017. I'm 45 years old. Working full-time at Moorpark College. My eldest daughter went to a Superbowl Party with her boyfriend. Yes, she has a boyfriend. She's 18. She's learning how to drive our Prius. How did that happen?
My wife and 2nd daughter are feeling under the weather today, so we stayed around the house, binge watching Netflix. Do people still "binge watch" in 2021?
Hopefully I am still alive. 2021 means I'll be turning 50. If I don't at least make it to fifty, I'll be sad. (Or my ghost will be sad.) But even if my time on Earth was shorter than I had hoped, I must say that my journey through life has been one filled with happiness, laughter, and friendship.
I have been using this blog for about three years now. And every once in a while I post a message to the future. My hope is that Google will stay in business long after my demise and that some of these future posts will appear when I'm an old man... and some may appear after I am gone.
In 2017 the age of Obama has shifted into the Time of Trump... and for us liberals it's a rather scary time. I'm a moderately, so I'm only moderately afraid, but I do hope that these four years of Trumpness have not left the world worse off than it was. I pray that no stupid wars have been created and that Americans have not become more impoverished / malnourished / homeless.
I hope that love and kindness still prevails.
I love my wife Cheri so much. And you girls, Mackenzie and Emily... You three are my world.
Expect the rest of the posts to the future to be similar mushy stuff reminding you all how much I love and cherish you.
But, they aren't the only ones... Joshua and Joel -- my California brothers... (and let's not forget my Washingtonian brother John). We've been through so many great years together. I love you guys, and your families.
And, of course, all of my actual brothers and sisters are incredible too. Do you remember back in 2016 (less than a year ago for me)... we all went to Vegas to celebrate Mom's 70th birthday. I had so much fun watching the Beatles Cirque du Soleil show with all of you.
Life is so sweet right now. I guess that's easy to say when you have your health and you aren't grief-stricken, right? I hope that the years have been kind to us all.
Well, that's enough sentimental hogwash. Future Wade, I'll be posting this the day before your birthday. So, happy birthday, old man. Enjoy your senior years. The first fifty were pretty darn good. Make these last decades even more exceptional -- and do your best to pay it forward.
Ta-ta for now,
Wade of 2017